The Common Ills

Gina asked why people were using "You're So Vain" when Alanis' "Narcissus" describes Donald Trump so much more? Gina's going to talk about that in the roundtable tonight so you'll see it Friday morning in the gina & krista round-robin. In the meantime, she also says I should have noted the studio version in the snapshot instead of the live version.

Thursday, August 7, 2017.
Words are easy.
You'd think most Americans would have grasped that by now.
The Iraq War, for example, continues.
This despite Barack Obama promising, as he ran for president in 2008, to end the Iraq War.
Many are aghast at what US President Donald Trump did or didn't say (the media has also done a lousy job on this -- but they're not doing their job and clearly

Wednesday, April 16, 2017. Chaos and violence continues and look who's concerned about Kurdish independence.
Link to headline article
Turkey says Kurdish Iraq's referendum could worsen situation, lead to civil warA planned independence referendum in Kurdish northern Iraq could make the situation in the region worse and even lead to a civil war, Turkey's foreign minister warned on…

After 9/11, a lot of b.s. songs were played and written -- usually scream violence and hate.
I always felt we should have pressed pause.
And taken Jewel's "Hands" to heart.
I turned off the TV and hit the road to avoid the pity being coerced into rage.
At one point, I bumped into Joan Didion and we compared notes.
She went on to write one of the most sensible pieces. (Here for it at

Monday, August 14, 2017. How do you note the death of 2 US service members in Iraq? If you're a reporter for THE NEW YORK TIMES or most members of the US Congress, you do it with silence.
Yesterday, it was announced two US service members had died in Iraq and five more were injured.
Say a little prayer till they all get home
Say a little prayer till they all get home
I knew when we

Brett McGurk‏Verified account @brett_mcgurk 27m27 minutes ago
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Remember Americans serving on front lines against #ISIS terrorists. Two died today in northern #Iraq. We honor and mourn their loss.
We mourn them.
As for 'honor'?
We'd honor them by ending this endless war started for lies and greed.
W.J. Hennigan‏Verified account @wjhenn 2h2 hours ago

Black News‏ @BlackNewsOutlet 3h3 hours ago
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This Iraqi artist DIED because 'patriotic' troops found this picture offensive.
I can't even imagine all those atrocities happening in Syria
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Who killed this woman this artist this mother?
Who broke the candle and snuffed out her light

Some Tweets from Sarah Abdallah:
Sarah Abdallah‏ @sahouraxo 5h5 hours ago
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Sarah Abdallah Retweeted The Hill
If only Obama could "reemerge" in jail for all his war crimes in Libya, Syria, Ukraine, Yemen, etc... And take Hillary with him.
Sarah Abdallah added,
The HillVerified account @thehill
Obama to reemerge in the fall, help rebuild Democratic Party http://

Friday, August 11, 2017.
Elections were supposed to take place in Iraq this year.
First in Mach but they were pushed back.
Then in September but again pushed back.
Former prime minister and forever thug Nouri al-Maliki has used the time trying to look impressive. That was behind his recent underwhelming trip to Russia.
Shi'ite cleric and movement leader Moqtada al-Sadr has also used the

Purposeless Death in Syria
Statement by David Swanson as Director of World Beyond War at DC press conference August 8, 2017. http://davidswanson.org/purposeless-death-in-syria
C-Span video: https://www.c-span.org/video/?432288-1/activists-call-withdrawal-us-military-aircraft-syrian-airspace&start=2259
I won’t have time to list all the reasons I want U.S. military planes and drones out

This is the opening to journalist David Bacon's latest:
BRACEROS ORGANIZE AFTER ONE WORKER DIESBy David BaconThe American Prospect, 8/8/17https://davidbaconrealitycheck.blogspot.com/2017/08/braceros-strike-after-one-worker-dies.htmlhttp://prospect.org/Picking blueberries on a Washington State farm. Risking deportation, Washington state farmworkers protest dangerous conditions in the fieldsA

Wednesday, August 9, 2017. The quest for Kurdish independence continues, the brain drain continues, the displacement is expected to grow.
Let's start with the semi-autonomous northern region of Iraq, the Kurdistan Regional Government.
Kurdistan CT‏ @Kurdistanct1 4h4 hours ago
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President Barzani: It is an honor to have this meeting w/Kurdistan Muslim clerics 2explain the way

Tuesday, August 8, 2017. Attention focuses on a bombing the killed several militia members.
14 years and counting -- how's that war on Iraq 'improving' lives?
Mohammed AlQaraghuli‏ @MAlqaraghuli 13m13 minutes ago
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This is how Iraqis live now.Listen to Al Sharqiya News in Iraq.https://www.facebook.com/sharqiyatv/videos/1500589413364506/@Maahanmuuttovir …
0

Omar‏ @OneUmah1 5h5 hours ago
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Replying to @ShiaTerrorWatch
Check this out!! Shiaa "Rafitha" crimes in Iraq conducted by Iraqi Troops against Sunnis of Iraq.http://abcnews.go.com/International/deepdive/brian-ross-investigates-the-torture-tapes-47429895 …
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These are War Crimes. The Congress and the

WSWS is under attack from Google as part of the corporate world's efforts to determine what the people will know and what they won't.
The WSWS today released a new video on Google's censorship algorithm. It has been posted on the WSWS Facebook Page and on Youtube (and is embedded below). Help combat Google's efforts to block access to the WSWS by sharing this video as broadly as possible.

Let's start with legal.
StlGal‏ @StlGal_36 1d1 day ago
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Replying to @StlGal_36
These people MURDERED 14 unarmed Iraqi civilians. The US courts just overturned their convictions. #Blackwater
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AP notes:
The three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District
of Columbia Circuit

This is from the South Central Michigan Greens
South Central Michigan Greens
=============================
Calhoun, Hillsdale, and Jackson Counties Local
https://www.facebook.com/SCMiGreens/
People and planet over profit.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: August 3, 2017
For more information:
--------------------
Monika Schwab, Local Contact/SCMiGreens
Moni.schwab@icloud.com